Welcome to
Sugar n' Spice Restaurant

Cincinnati landmark Sugar n’ Spice restaurant new owner, retired corporate and commercial real estate professional Steven Frankel, has begun the celebration of Sugar N’ Spice’s 70th Anniversary. Frankel, just the fifth owner of the popular Cincinnati breakfast and lunch eatery, spent his early childhood in this Paddock Hills neighborhood, growing up on Bristol Lane, just around the corner from the restaurant he now oversees. Like many Sugar n’ Spice patrons, Frankel’s relationship with this neighborhood landmark is generational.

“The first time I visited Sugar n’ Spice was with my parents. I was 4 or 5 years old and apparently we were regulars, or so they told me” Frankel noted. As the new owner of Sugar n’ Spice, Frankel describes himself as more of a “caretaker of an historic icon than a restaurateur.”
“Sugar n’ Spice is not my restaurant – it’s been here since 1941,” Frankel added.

Being a new owner always carries the temptation to change things, but Frankel quickly realized what kept this cozy breakfast and lunch eatery in business for 70 years was not a lot of “changes”. It was the consistency of the food, the staff, the charm and the personal touches that founder Mort Keller originated. Bernie and Florence Heines, then Mick Michaelson continued with the original concept and the original menu.

“So I came into Sugar n’ Spice thinking about what I could do to improve the customers’ experience – let me rephrase that – what the staff and the regulars who have been coming here for decades would allow me to do,” Frankel noted. New flatware, retro-style seating, and refurbished stools came first.

He spruced up, thoroughly cleaned up and fixed up all the stuff that hadn’t been attended to for a while. But he was wisely counseled by the wait staff and cooks – some who have been with Sugar n’ Spice for over 15 years – not to fuss with the food.

That’s because people have been coming to Sugar n’ Spice for decades for the huge, fluffy omelettes, fresh fruit cups, signature sandwiches and of course Sugar n’ Spice’s famously delicious, “wispy thin pancakes” that Mort Keller featured from the restaurant’s start in 1941.

What can you expect to see in the near future? A new look for the menu, logo and website, more fun and family friendly events, and extended summer hours (starting April 1, we will be opened on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday until 8 pm) are all on the slate during the upcoming year. As the restaurant celebrates it’s 70th Anniversary, Frankel intends to cling to the roots when possible, and improve the aspects that need it.

In the restaurant business, “under new management” usually means major change. Don’t expect a lot of changes for Sugar n’ Spice, especially on the menu items. The omelettes will still be huge and fluffy, the secret recipe pancakes will remain “wispy thin,” and long-time restaurant regulars like Fort Mitchell’s Ruth and Bob will still make the trip every day for breakfast, as they have for many, many years.

Frankel believes the key to the success of Sugar n’ Spice is the spirit that Mort Keller brought to the business, and that hasn’t changed. Frankel embraces the 70 year history and spirit of this landmark with all due respect. The bottom line is: some things, Sugar n’ Spice being one of them, just aren’t meant to change.